Phillips brought a tightly edited selection of 20 modern and contemporary art lots to its West Kowloon headquarters in Hong Kong for an evening sale on 30 September 2026, led by works from Gerhard Richter, Zao Wou-Ki and Zeng Fanzhi — each representing a formative moment in its maker's practice. The top lot was Gerhard Richter's Abstraktes Bild (522-1) from 1983, estimated at HK$18 million to HK$25 million (US$2.31–3.21 million). Created during the artist's celebrated "Wild Abstracts" period, in the same year he moved from Düsseldorf to Cologne, the painting shows his increasingly mature use of the squeegee, layering vivid passages of color in a process that balances control and chance. Its provenance distinguishes it further: acquired directly from Richter by curator Kasper König, it was included in the landmark retrospective Gerhard Richter: Bilder 1962–1985, which traveled through major European institutions. Two significant Asian works reinforced the sale's focus on pivotal transitions. Zeng Fanzhi's Mask Series No. 4 (1994), estimated at HK$11–16 million, dates to the inaugural year of his now-iconic Mask series and features an unusually rare double-seated composition. Made shortly after Zeng moved from Wuhan to Beijing, its masked figures reflect tensions around identity, conformity and urban transformation in 1990s China. Zao Wou-Ki's Sans titre (La Théière) (1951), estimated at HK$10–15 million, captures the artist at another turning point: after his encounter with Paul Klee, recognizable still-life forms begin dissolving into the calligraphic gestures and spatial freedom that would define his mature work. The broader lineup also included Hajime Sorayama, Lauren Quin, Natee Utarit, Yayoi Kusama and Issy Wood, with Phillips emphasizing rarity, provenance and art-historical significance across the offering. The 20-lot format reflects the auction house's strategy of concentrated, quality-led evening sales in Asia, pitched against Sotheby's and Christie's larger Hong Kong offerings the same week.